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Principles of Christian Morality
Principles of Christian Morality
The Beatitudes
Blessed are the poor in spirit, theirs is the kingdom of
heaven.
Blessed are those who mourn, they shall be
comforted.
Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth.
Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for justice
Blessed are the merciful
Blessed are the pure of heart
Blessed are the peacemakers
Blessed are those who are persecuted
Blessed are you when men revile you for your
reward is great in heaven.
Christian Beatitude
The New Testament uses several expressions to
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Sources of Morality
The object chosen is a good toward which the will
for the good. This movement finds pleasure and joy once the
good is possessed. Therefore love begins with a desire.
Passions are evil if the love or desire behind them is evil; they
morally specified to the extent that they engage reason & free
will. They must be guided by reason toward a proper end and
fulfillment.
Passions are voluntary because they are either commanded or
permitted by the will.
Strong feelings are the inexhaustible reservoir of images &
affections in and through which the moral life of human beings
is expressed.
In Christ human feelings are seen to reach their consummation
in charity & blessedness. We strive to imitate the Lord in this
and every other way.
Moral perfection consists in being moved to the good not by the
will alone, also by the sensitive appetite. This means that we
desire what is good and right because we desire it with our
hearts. That is to say, we find the good to be appealing and
attractive, not something repugnant that must be endured!
of moral conscience.
Conscience includes perception of the principles of morality
(synderesis) and their application in given circumstances by
practical discernment of reasons & goods.
The truth about the moral good is recognized practically and
concretely by the prudent judgment of conscience.
Conscience enables one to assume responsibility for all of the
actions that one carries out.
The judgment of conscience remains a pledge of hope in mans
desire to do what is good, and also of the mercy of God who
forgives us when we err in our judgment.
Man has a fundamental right to act in accord with his conscience
and in true freedom; He must not be prevented from doing so,
especially in religious matters. (See Vatican II Declaration on
Religious Liberty, Dignitatis Humanae #1-2.)
enlightened.
A well-formed conscience is upright and truthful. It
formulates its judgments in conformity to reason, to
the true good willed by the Creator.
The education of conscience is a lifelong task. The
Word of God is the light for our paths. We assimilate
Gods word in faith and & in prayer (meditation).
We are assisted by the gifts of the Holy Spirit, aided
by the witness or advice of others and guided by the
authoritative teaching of the Church.
Theological Virtues
Human virtues are rooted in the theological
Faith
Faith is the theological virtue by which we believe in
God, all that He has revealed to us, and all that the
Church proposes for our belief.
By faith man freely commits his entire self to God to
do His will.
The righteous person shall live by faith (Rom. 1:17).
The gift of faith remains in one who has not sinned
against it. When deprived of hope and love, faith
does not unite the believer to Christ or His Body.
The true disciple of Christ must not only keep the
faith but also live it and confidently bear witness to it.
Hope
Hope is the theological virtue by which we desire the
Charity
Charity is the theological virtue by which we
love God above all things for his sake, and our
neighbor as ourselves for love of God.
Jesus makes charity the New Commandment.
He manifests the Fathers love which He
receives. By loving each other, the disciples
imitate the love of Jesus which we receive.
The Lord asks us to love even our enemies.
The practice of all the virtues is animated and
inspired by charity. Therefore charity is called
the form or soul of all of the virtues.
More on sin
Mortal sin is a radical possibility of human freedom,
Venial sin
One commits venial sin when one does not observe
Proliferation of sin
Sin creates a proclivity to sin and engenders vice.